Unit 1
What makes a fossil?
Any lasting mark or impression that an organism has caused in the environment is considered a fossil.
How are birds and reptiles related, according to the fossil record?
Smaller dinosaurs developed the ability to fly and became birds.
What is Stromatolites?
Stromatolites are layered rock-like structures.
What are Stromatolites formed by?
Stromatolites are formed by films of bacteria
Absolute dating is a method used for determining the age of fossils that depends on radioactive decay.
Which scientists influenced Darwin?
Lamarck
What did Darwin's father want Darwin to become?
Doctor
What did Darwin join the scientific survey voyage as?
Naturalist of the ship
What did Darwin realize about each island?
Darwin realized each island had similar animals with slightly different traits.
When was Darwin's first essay on evolution complete?
1844
What did Darwin base his three main theories on?
1. Species produce more offspring than can survive. This is called overproduction
2. Individuals of a species are different from each other. This is called variation.
3. When resources are scarce, individuals will compete for them. This competition happens between different species. It also occurs between individuals belonging to the same species.
What does Overproduction mean?
Overproduction:
if enough resources are available, the population of a species will increase.
What is natural selection?
natural selection:
a process in which organisms with a greater fitness tend to survive and produce more offspring
What is Evolution?
Evolution:
the change in heritable traits that occurs in populations over time
What does adaptations mean?
Adaptations:
inherited characteristics that increase an individual’s ability to survive